From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette-Ibas ( retd), yesterday, failed to appear before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee over-sighting the state.
Ibas was originally scheduled to appear before the panel, on April 17 to brief the lawmakers on the state of affairs in Rivers State, but his appearance was rescheduled for yesterday.
However, the sole administrator failed to turn up. Nonetheless, while there was no explanation for his absence, the chairman of the panel, Julius Ihonbvere, and the members met behind closed door.
At the end of the meeting which lasted for about 50 minutes, Ihonbvere declined comment, saying that the Ad-hoc Committee would issue a formal statement.
President Bola Tinubu, had on March 18, declared emergency rule in Rivers State, suspended the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Ngozi Odu and the State House of Assembly, over the political crisis in the oil rich state and appointed Ibas as sole administrator of the state for the period of the emergency rule.
In the aftermath of the approval of the emergency rule by the two chambers of the National Assembly, the speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, inaugurated a 21-man panel to oversight Rivers State while the emergency rule lasts.
According to Abbas, while Ibas must operate with transparency and accountability, the panel is “to monitor the implementation of federal directives and policies in Rivers State, ensure that the caretaker administration adheres to the law and protect the public interest while facilitating the re-establishment of full democratic governance in the state.”